Tweet fuels talk of Bartoli return

PARIS: Former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli sparked speculation on Tuesday of a return from retirement less than two years after bowing out of professional tennis.

The thirty-year-old who quit tennis in 2013 on the heels of a Wimbledon grand slam win that crowned her career, raised the question of a possible comeback on her Twitter page, instead of answering it.

“Coming back or not coming back to tennis? What do you think? Should I?” Bartoli said.

The tweet from the Frenchwoman, who since quitting the sport launched a line of sports fashion shoes, immediately triggered speculation in French and English-language news media of a possible comeback.

L’Equipe, an influential French sports newspaper, said a return would be hard for Bartoli given her own admission that excessive physical stress was one of the main reasons for bowing out. But it said her age should not be an obstacle.

“Marion Bartoli has just turned 30. It’s not too late to go back to winning. Serena Williams, the boss of the circuit, continues to rule the WTA roost at 33,” said the paper. (Reuters)